COURSES DETAILS

ACCORD UNIVERSITY

MASTER OF PEACE STUDIES 

English Version                                                                                 WWW.ACCORD.EDU.SO
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 2021/2022

Overview

1.0        INTRODUCTION

M.A. Peace Studies this interdisciplinary MA explores the processes through which actors have attempted to define and build peace in areas affected by war and violence, particularly since the end of the Cold War. Drawing on expertise from the fields of politics, history, anthropology and the arts, this newly revamped course will offer you the opportunity to engage with conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and state-building theories and practices. Moreover, the programme will critically address the conceptualization of peace and the implementation of peacebuilding projects by global, regional, national and local actors, including the UN, the International Financial Institutions, development agencies and donors, INGOs, and local organisations in conflict-affected environments. In particular, it will focus on the social agency for peace, the question of the nature of the `peaceful state', and the ever-fraught question of the reform of the international system.

Master of Peace Studies

M.A. Peace Studies

It aims to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of issues, theories and practices in peace and conflict, and to develop the ability to apply theory and case studies to peace building in complex situations. The programme is designed to enhance the skills, knowledge and competencies of those working to achieve and strengthen peace around the world.

M.A. Peace Studies

Syllabus of Peace Studies as prescribed by various Universities and Colleges:

Career opportunities

You will be able to show a critical understanding of:

1. Key issues and debates related to the theories of peace and practices of peacebuilding, state-building, conflict management, resolution, and transformation. They will become familiar with the range of international actors and organisations, their policies and practices, and their pros and cons.

2. The range of social science topics that influence peacebuilding, state-building, conflict management, etc., (including political, historical, anthropological understandings of peace and related programming strategies). Students will become familiar with the methodological and normative underpinnings of these disciplines.

3. The analytical and policy literature concerning peacebuilding, international governance structures, state-building, and the role of key actors and institutions including NGOs and military and other security actors. Concurrently, students will be able to evaluate the theory and policy tools in the context of the recent history of peacebuilding and state-building since the end of the Cold War, in a range of examples, including across the Balkans, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, the recent and various Arab Revolts.

4. An understanding of local approaches to peacebuilding, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with `bottom up' approaches. Students will examine current debates on the nature of everyday peace and hybrid forms of peace, related questions about `local agency' and forms of resistance, activism, and social mobilisation.

5. You will experience the on-the-ground realities of peacebuilding and state-building through a guided research visit to the range of actors involved in Bosnia-Herzegovina or Cyprus. This will form a key part of one of the core modules of the programme and will be run in association with local partners.

6. The development of a range of academic and professional/transferrable skills through both independent and group-based work.

7. A detailed understanding of a specific conceptual and/or policy-related area of peacebuilding along with the implications and limitations of research findings on this subject, and of how to produce an original piece of academic research. This will be delivered via written assignments in your coursework and dissertation.

At Accord University you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability.

Students completing this programme may consider a wide range of career choices, including:

·         Civil Service (working within various government ministries, including the foreign office, international development office).

·         International Institutions (such as the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Department of Peacekeeping Operations and regional bodies such as the European Union, African Union, Organization of American States).

·         NGOs (local and international) working on peacebuilding initiatives.

·         Academia/Research Institutes/Think-Tanks.

Faculties Email:

mp@accord.edu.so